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Styling my first window display for XOXO

As part of my job as Editor of IamMEG.ph, I was invited by XOXO to view their holiday collection, which was all about restrained opulence. Gold is the color of the season for XOXO, but I think the jackets were the stars of the show. There were Chanel-inspired jackets with bouclé details, zippered ones with leather sleeves, floaty casual blazers with cascading lapels, and one in a fabulous sequined-but-matte asymmetrical design. Rich, heavy textures and on-trend details aside, XOXO is all about polish and wearability. My colleague, Cat Triviño of Megastyle, and I had a blast mixing and matching the different pieces, noting especially that most of the items were perfect investment pieces for work.

We had so much fun with our looks that we didn’t think twice when XOXO PR Consultant Ria Yap encouraged us to have a go at styling three of the four mannequins in the store’s display window. First, Cat and I tried on some of the pieces to see which worked, then added or subtracted elements to edit the final picks.

We liked the idea of pairing the white leather tuxedo jacket with an off-white pair of short shorts that had the same lining. Originally, Cat chose a beautiful printed yellow and black top with cut-outs in the yoke, but we decided that a solid pop of gold/yellow would bring the look together more. On the mannequin, Cat layered two identical necklaces to maximize impact, and topped off the look with a compact patent purse with a chain handle in matching gold.

We couldn’t miss the snakeskin pants hanging on the rack. Since they are meant to be the focal point of any ensemble, it was all about choosing the appropriate top in a solid color (like black) to balance out the wild print. Thankfully, XOXO had a nice collection of basics and inners to choose from. On the mannequin, we added an armful of bangles and clutch in sexy wine red to draw in the eye.

This asymmetrical bodycon dress can be tricky to pull off because it does draw a lot of attention to the midriff area. If you have the figure and the confidence though, the dress can do a lot to enhance them both! Cat and I really liked the idea of a sequin story, so we went for another sparkly look for the adjacent mannequin.

Since the third look is a glamorous party ensemble, a related sequined outfit would have to convey a more relaxed, casual feel. The ensemble on the right really is something I’d pick out for myself. First, I have to say that the ivory blazer, at a convenient three-quarters length and featuring tiered cascading lapels, was just stunning. It was the perfect piece to layer over a peach sequined tank with a very sexy low back; I would be a little shy to wear the inner piece by itself. The addition of the denim shorts added a rugged touch. We found the most perfect gold necklace with a very light pink detail; it brought out the tank’s pink tones perfectly.

Here’s the overall effect from outside the store. I’m still feeling a tingly little buzz from the experience.